diff --git a/setup/translations.py b/setup/translations.py
index f397b43ce4..f338119b2a 100644
--- a/setup/translations.py
+++ b/setup/translations.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ __license__   = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2009, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
-import os, tempfile, shutil, subprocess, glob, re, time, textwrap, cPickle, shlex, json, errno, hashlib
+import os, tempfile, shutil, subprocess, glob, re, time, textwrap, cPickle, shlex, json, errno, hashlib, sys
 from collections import defaultdict
 from locale import normalize as normalize_locale
 from functools import partial
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ class Translations(POT):  # {{{
         self.compile_user_manual_translations()
 
     def compile_group(self, files, handle_stats=None, file_ok=None, action_per_file=None):
+        from calibre.constants import islinux
         jobs, ok_files = [], []
         hashmap = {}
 
@@ -279,7 +280,11 @@ class Translations(POT):  # {{{
             else:
                 if file_ok is None or file_ok(data, src):
                     self.info('\t' + os.path.relpath(src, self.j(self.d(self.SRC), 'translations')))
-                    jobs.append(['msgfmt', '--statistics', '-o', dest, src])
+                    if islinux:
+                        msgfmt = ['msgfmt']
+                    else:
+                        msgfmt = [sys.executable, self.j(self.SRC, 'calibre', 'translations', 'msgfmt.py')]
+                    jobs.append(msgfmt + ['--statistics', '-o', dest, src])
                     ok_files.append((src, dest))
                     hashmap[src] = current_hash
             if action_per_file is not None:
diff --git a/src/calibre/translations/msgfmt.py b/src/calibre/translations/msgfmt.py
index aa8e3b806c..eeffc87429 100644
--- a/src/calibre/translations/msgfmt.py
+++ b/src/calibre/translations/msgfmt.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#! /usr/bin/env python2
+#!/usr/bin/env python2
 # Written by Martin v. Loewis <loewis@informatik.hu-berlin.de>
 
 """Generate binary message catalog from textual translation description.
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import array
 __version__ = "1.1"
 
 MESSAGES = {}
-
+STATS = {'translated': 0, 'untranslated': 0}
 
 def usage(code, msg=''):
     print >> sys.stderr, __doc__
@@ -45,8 +45,13 @@ def usage(code, msg=''):
 def add(id, str, fuzzy):
     "Add a non-fuzzy translation to the dictionary."
     global MESSAGES
+    if not id:
+        return
     if not fuzzy and str:
         MESSAGES[id] = str
+        STATS['translated'] += 1
+    else:
+        STATS['untranslated'] += 1
 
 
 def generate():
@@ -193,12 +198,13 @@ def make(filename, outfile):
 
 def main():
     try:
-        opts, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 'hVo:',
-                                   ['help', 'version', 'output-file='])
+        opts, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 'hVso:',
+                                   ['help', 'version', 'statistics', 'output-file='])
     except getopt.error, msg:
         usage(1, msg)
 
     outfile = None
+    output_stats = False
     # parse options
     for opt, arg in opts:
         if opt in ('-h', '--help'):
@@ -208,6 +214,8 @@ def main():
             sys.exit(0)
         elif opt in ('-o', '--output-file'):
             outfile = arg
+        elif opt in ('-s', '--statistics'):
+            output_stats = True
     # do it
     if not args:
         print >> sys.stderr, 'No input file given'
@@ -215,7 +223,10 @@ def main():
         return
 
     for filename in args:
+        STATS['translated'] = STATS['untranslated'] = 0
         make(filename, outfile)
+        if output_stats:
+            print STATS['translated'], 'translated messages,', STATS['untranslated'], 'untranslated messages.'
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':